Expert football analyst, Thomas Kwenaite, has looked ahead to today's various CAF encounters for Platinum Stars, Bidvest Wits and SuperSport United.
Wits, SSU, and Dikwena on the African Safari
Platinum Stars take on Mozambique-based club, União Desportiva do Songo in Maputo, carrying a 1-0 advantage from the first leg of their CAF Confederations Cup encounter in Rustenburg and Kwenaite has said that, even though they currently hold the upper hand, the result is not yet in the bag, especially because they will be playing away from home.
"Platinum Stars might have the advantage by winning the first leg," he told Soccer Laduma. "We saw with Mamelodi Sundowns, when they went all the way to win the CAF Champions League last year, that they made sure that when they were at home they were comfortable. Usually in CAF competitions, clubs try to minimise the damage when they play away. They play a defensive game and they'll try to hold you to at least a draw, a goalless draw or a 1-1 draw. When you're at home, you're under pressure. Platinum Stars have no experience, and if they took a one or two goal cushion is would have been great, but right now, it's 50/50."
With regards to Bidvest Wits' CAF Champions League qualifier against Reunion club, Saint-Louisienne, Kwenaite believes that the Clever Boys' quality, as well as their improved attitude towards CAF competitions, will see them come away with a win against tonight's opponents.
"We know Bidvest Wits," he continued. "They have quite a formidable side, and there seems to be a change in attitude from the technical team, because they were reluctant to participate in African cup competitions, but now there seems to be a change of attitude. They only lost 2-1 away and that goal that they scored away will really come in handy, because it's difficult to play them at Bidvest Stadium and I have a feeling that Wits will be too much for Saint Louisienne. They didn't field their strongest team in the first leg and I think that if they bring their big guns out they'll be able to proceed to the next round."
Hunt Stresses Importance Of Varied Training
Finally, Kwenaite said that anything but a win for Stuart Baxter's SuperSport United in their CAF Confederations Cup encounter with Madagascans, ASSM Elgeco Plus, will be a disaster.
"I think it will be a disaster if SuperSport fail to put away this team from Madagascar," the former SAB Sports Writer of the Year winner explained. "SuperSport are old campaigners in African cup competitions. They've been to the group stages under Pitso Mosimane and I think they did well to restrict the team away from home. Under normal circumstances, I'd expect them to come back with at least a goal or two from Madagascar, but at least they didn't concede. But I think they can come back and win the second leg.
